Commonwealth Fund Shows That Obamacare Has Made Health Care More Affordable

January 15, 2015 — Ron Chusid

Another study has shown that the Affordable Care Act is exceeding expectations in increasing access to health care to Americans. A Commonwealth Fund survey has found that Obamacare has resulted in a reduction in the number of working-age adults without insurance from 20 percent of the population in 2010 to 16 percent in 2014 (the first year insurance was available through the exchanges) with further reductions in uninsured expected this year. Even more significantly, the number of adults who did not get needed health care because of cost decreased from 80 million people (43 percent) in 2012 to 66 million (36 percent) in 2014.

The percentage who reported problems paying medical bills in the previous 12 months decreased from 30 percent to 23 percent.

The percentage who did not fill a prescription fell from 27 percent to 19 percent. The percentage who did not get needed specialist care decreased from 20 percent to 13 percent.

“These declines are remarkable and unprecedented in the survey’s history,” said Sara Collins, the study’s lead author. “They indicate that the Affordable Care Act is beginning to help people afford the healthcare they need.”